Sometimes the behavior of Kṛṣṇa's sons appears similar to the behavior of His personal servants. For example, the sons used to offer their obeisances, they were silent, submissive and gentle, and they were always ready to carry out Kṛṣṇa's orders, even at the risk of life. When present before Kṛṣṇa, they bowed down on the ground. They were very silent and steady, and they used to restrain coughing and laughing before the Lord. Also, they never discussed Kṛṣṇa's pastimes in conjugal love. In other words, devotees who are engaged in reverential devotional service should not discuss the conjugal love affairs of Kṛṣṇa. No one should claim his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa unless he is liberated. In the conditioned state of life, the devotees have to execute the prescribed duties as recommended in the codes of devotional service. When one is mature in devotional service and is a realized soul, he can know his own eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
Coughing
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
You have been blind from your very birth, and recently you have become hard of hearing. Your memory is shortened, and your intelligence is disturbed. Your teeth are loose, your liver is defective, and you are coughing up mucus.
SB Canto 2
The pure devotee, by the grace of the Lord, absolutely loses all attraction for material enjoyment, and to keep free from contamination he always thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord. King Kulaśekhara, a great devotee of the Lord, prayed:
- kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarāntam
- adyaiva me viśatu mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ
- prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ
- kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau smaraṇaṁ kutas te
- (MM 33)
"My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I pray that the swan of my mind may immediately sink down to the stems of the lotus feet of Your Lordship and be locked in their network; otherwise at the time of my final breath, when my throat is choked up with cough, how will it be possible to think of You?"
SB Canto 3
O great actor, my Lord, all these poor creatures are constantly perplexed by hunger, thirst, severe cold, secretion and bile, attacked by coughing winter, blasting summer, rains and many other disturbing elements, and overwhelmed by strong sex urges and indefatigable anger. I take pity on them, and I am very much aggrieved for them.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Prabhupāda: Not only according, according to whole Vedic literature. This is the first instruction. This is the... If we want to make progress towards spiritual advancement of knowledge, this preliminary knowledge we must have, that "I am not this body. I am not this body." This is the preliminary standing of spiritual knowledge. This is not advancement. This is simply A-B-C-D, ABCD of spiritual life. In the Bhāgavata there is a very nice verse in this connection in which it is stated, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. Kuṇape means this bag, this bag made of three elements. Now, according to Āyurvedic medical system, this body is made of three elements: kapha, pitta, vāyu.
Woman: Three elements?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kapha. Kapha means cold, coldness.
Woman: Common.
Prabhupāda: Cough, cough, what do you call cough? Coughing. Yes. Kapha, pitta, vāyu: "coldness, heat and air." Yes. Only these three things constitute this body. Therefore it is called a bag made of three elements: coldness, air and fire, heat. Heat, coldness and air—this body's made.
Woman: What, what does coldness stand for?
Prabhupāda: Coldness, you can take it for water, or secretion.
Woman: Water.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Just like that King, er, Kulaśekhara. He has got many nice verses about his devotional service, and in one verse he describes about his position. He says,
- kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarāntam
- adyaiva viśatu me mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ
- prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ
- kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau smaraṇaṁ kutas te
- (MM 33)
"Because at the time of death, my dear Kṛṣṇa, I do not know what will be my position, because at that time all the functions of my body will be stopped and naturally there will be a block in my throat of the coughs..." At the time of death... One who has seen a dying man, he'll see there is cough in this kaṇṭha, in this throat, in the channel, throat. So he prays, at the time of death, kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ: "By the derangement of the bodily function, when kapha will choke up my throat, then how I shall be able to chant? Because I am now healthy. I am now chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, but at that time, how I shall be able to chant? So therefore, while I am chanting now in good health, please let me die immediately so that I can die chanting." Yes. That is the prayer. But, er, because that is the ultimate examination.
Prabhupāda: No, no. Just answer me. Do you like to be diseased?
Student: What is...?
Prabhupāda: Just answer.
Student: What is disease?
Prabhupāda: Oh? You have never suffered from disease? You have never suffered from disease?
Student: I've had, I've had the mumps and the measles and whooping cough, (laughter) which is what everyone has, and you get over...
Prabhupāda: Everyone has, that does not mean because..., that does not mean... Everyone is now suffering from this winter season, but that does not mean that is not suffering. So we have to admit that we are always in suffering.
Student: If I've never known happiness, I feel sure I've never known suffering either.
Prabhupāda: That is due to your ignorance. We are in suffering. We don't want to die. The death is there. We don't want to be diseased. The disease is there. We don't want to become old. The old age is there. So we don't..., so many things we don't want, but they are forced upon us. And any sane man will admit that these are sufferings. But if you are accustomed to these sufferings so you say, "It is all right," that is a different thing. But naturally, any sane man, he won't like to be diseased. He won't like to be old. He won't like to die. You see. Why this movement? Because if there is war, there will be death. So people are afraid. They're making agitation, "There should be no war." So don't you... Do you think that death is very pleasurable thing?
Just see our imperfectness. (after spitting, coughing:) This body... We have got imperfectness, coughing something. So how we can become perfect? We are under the stringent rules and regulations of the nature. A little difference will put me into difficulty. So we are not all independent so long we are conditioned. So if... Suppose you are a businessman. You send your representative for securing business. And if he represents himself to the customer, "I am the proprietor. I am the proprietor," how long he can prolong? As soon as the master will know that "This foolish man is representing himself as the proprietor of this firm," at once cancel. Because there is cheating. He's not proprietor. Similarly, anyone who says that "I am God" he should not preach. He can think himself for acquiring knowledge of God. That is another thing. "I am God." "I am God" means to understand the quality of God, because I am qualitatively God. Because I am part and parcel of God, therefore my qualities are the same.
Go-kharaḥ. Go means cows and kharaḥ means asses. Person who is identifying this body as the self. This body is a bag of three dhātus: kapha, pitta, vāyu. According to Ayurvedic treatment, this body is made of kapha, pitta, vāyu. Otherwise, we can take it, this body is made of flesh, bone, blood, urine, stool, cough. If you analytically study this body, you'll find these are the ingredients of the body. Therefore these ingredients are not myself. This is the first ignorance. In spiritual knowledge, unless one understands fully that "I am not this flesh, blood, urine, or other things in this body, I am separate from..." One who knows that "I am separate from this body, I am spirit soul, I am the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord," as it is stated, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), then my knowledge is complete.
Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. This body, according to Ayurvedic system of medicine, this body is made of three elements—kapha, pitta, vāyu: mucus, bile, and cough. So anyway, so tri-dhātuke... This body, is made of material elements. I am spirit soul; I am not material element. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." This is knowledge. But if one does not take this knowledge, he remains with the bodily concept of life, "I finger," not "my finger," then he is in ignorance. "I head," not "my head." Nobody says, "I head." Everyone says "My head." But find out who is "I." This is knowledge.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
This is the devotee's position. Here it is said, yeṣāṁ na ca anyad bhavataḥ padāmbujāt: "We have no other means of protection than Your lotus feet. This is our position." Anyat. Anyat means "anything else." This is full surrender. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta. "Nanda-suta, Kṛṣṇa, You are present here with the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu. Both of You are here." Hā hā prabhu nanda-suta vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta. We don't want to see Kṛṣṇa alone. (aside:) Why everyone is coughing? What is the difficulty? Yesterday also I heard. What is the difficulty?
They think it is some religious sentiment. Like so many other religions, it is like that. No. It is most the scientific movement, purifying the existence of the living being so that he can eternally, blissfully live, with complete knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. To purify. Yena śuddhyet sattvam. And for such... Just like for being cured from your attack of cold and cough, you take so many medicine, go to so many physician, you spend some money. Why? You want to be cured. Similarly, if you understand that "This is my disease, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease," so you'll have to sacrifice. Just like you are sacrificing money for being cured from the diseased condition, similarly, śāstra says that this human life is meant for tapasya, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). This human life is meant for tapasya, not for indulging in sensual gratification like the animals. Tapasya. So in the tapasya method these things are prescribed. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is mentioning them.
Just like some of you are suffering from cough. Now there has been some hygienic law disregarded. So I have caught cold and cough. So why shall I deride upon it? It must be created either you say by bodily nature or by God. So so long it is there, let me suffer patiently. It has come, it will go. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā: āgamāpāyinaḥ anityāḥ. Distressed condition, or happiness also, so-called happiness... Here there is no happiness. Everything is distressed condition. But we are so fool that we consider distressed condition as happiness. This is called māyā, distressed condition as happiness. For example, suppose you have to go to see a friend, and nowadays, friend or anything, not less than ten miles.
That is the ways of this material nature. The ways of material nature is that you cannot remain in comfort. That is not possible. By laws of nature... Tri-tāpa-yatana, three kinds of miseries, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, they must be there always. Just like I am your spiritual master. You have kept me very nicely, to your best capacity, but I am coughing. I am coughing. So even if we are situated in one kind of comfortable position, then another uncomfort will come and attack. That is called tri division. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Or there is no cough, or there is no trouble, but you receive on very unsatisfactory letter from a friend; you become very sorry. This is called adhyātmika, pertaining to the mind, pertaining to the body. Adhyātmika. Adhibhautika: troubles offered by other living entities; and adhidaivika, trouble offered by the higher authorities. Just like excessive heat. You cannot control. Excessive cold.
Mahārāja Kulaśekhara king, a great devotee, is praying to Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, this is the opportune time. Now I am healthy. I am quite in good health so let me die immediately, thinking of You, because my whole purpose is to think of You, of Your pastimes, at the time of death. So generally, at the time of death, kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ, the whole system becomes disarranged. There are coughing, there are headache, there is some pain, this is general system. Sometimes they are so intolerable that the man who is going to die, he cries. The system within the body is so complicated that at any time it can be disarranged, and it becomes a great source of pain. So, at the time of death means, the arrangement becomes so dangerously painful, that one leaves this body, "No more." This is death. This bodily arrangement becomes so painful. Just like one commits suicide. When the situation is too much painful he wants a rescue by committing suicide. Similarly, when the bodily pains are too severe, then the living entity can not live in this body. Tyaktvā deham, he gives up this body. So we have to give up this body, that we forget.
So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he saw that the principles of Kali-yuga, meaning adulteration, prostitution, animal-killing, drinking, intoxication, gambling, these things are coming gradually... Because the age Kali-yuga, this is Kali-yuga. Just like before winter there is some wind, very cold. One can understand, "Now winter is approaching." So of course, you cannot stop winter, but you be careful so that you may not catch cold, coughing. You dress yourself nicely, have warm cloth. It is no use fighting with the seasonal changes. That is not possible. Just like it is raining. It is no use to fight with the cloud and rain, stop it. That is not possible. But you can take raincoat, umbrella, so that you may not be affected. That is your business. So Kali-yuga has entered. Kali-yuga has entered all over the world. Not now. Five thousand years ago, during the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Gradually, people are degrading, only on these principles: illicit sex, animal slaughter, intoxication and gambling. These are the four pillars of the platform of Kali.
So this is a very elaborate scientific subject matter, and we are trying to present all over the world. Why not our Indian brothers take it very seriously? Why we should be carried away by the waves of material nature? This is not very good idea. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva (SB 5.5.1). Sattva, my existence. At the present moment... Just like I am coughing. So because I am, for the present moment, I am diseased. So this is the symptom of coughing. Similarly, why I am dying? This should be the question. Ke āmi kena more jāpaṭiyā traya. I hear from Bhagavad-gītā that I am eternal: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Then why I am dying? This is intelligence. Why I am dying? This "why." Kena Upaniṣad. But this is not being educated. We are carried away by the temporary problems and missing the chance of human life. This is not very good, and Ṛṣabhadeva especially instructs that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes.
Just like you are suffering from some disease. So according to the nature of the disease, you have to pay for its medicine. One who is suffering from malarial disease, tuberculosis disease, asthmatic tendency, these disease are considered very severe type of disease. Coughing or having some little fever, they are not very severe. But there are many severe diseases. So as you pay to the specialist doctor or you pay for the medicine according to the severity of disease, similarly—yasmād evaṁ tasmād pāpasya niṣkṛtau prayaścitte yateta—you have to make treatment. And according to the symptoms of the disease, you have to undergo treatment. That is called prāyaścitta.
And the duty ascertained for such occupation, that is dharma. Natural. Or, in one word, it can be explained as characteristic. So, just like a chemical, it has got some characteristic in the chemical analytical book, that... Take soda bicarb. The characteristic—it tastes like this, the color is like this, the, like this, so many things. Hmm. (aside:) That child is coughing. So dharma means characteristic. So what is the dharma of the living entity? We are all living entities. What is the dharma? What is the characteristic? Common. Not that because I am Hindu, my characteristic is different from your characteristic. As living being, our characteristic is the same. Either you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian or white or black, never mind. What is that characteristic? That characteristic—to serve. The inferior must serve to the superior. That's all. This is characteristic. Find out all over the universe, the service.
General Lectures
Just like any one of us, we desire that my youthful body may remain. We try to keep that youthfulness by so many medicine, by so many means. But nature will not allow to keep yourself always youthful. That is not possible. You must change. Therefore one should be inquisitive, that "I don't want this type of body, old body, feeble body, more conditioned, with rheumatic disease and other, so many disease, cough disease. I don't want it, but I'm forced to accept this body. This is real problem. I don't want to die, but death is forced upon me." So these question should be raised by really advanced human being, that "I don't want all these things. I want to enjoy this material world, but I am forced to change into a body. I cannot enjoy. I cannot enjoy." This is real problem. That real problem has been discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Philosophy Discussions
Devotee: Even if you commit sinful activities all your life, if he is there at your deathbed then you can be saved from your sins.
Prabhupāda: That is quite possible, you see, because he can remind you. But at the time of death, when everything is stopped, the functions of the body, kapha, pitta, vāyu, therefore Kulaśekhara says that "Let me die immediately." Actually, natural death means I will be encumbered with so many things, natural disturbance of this body, the disturbance, they'll be choked up, and cough, mucus, so many things. So unless one is practiced, it is not possible. Therefore practice is required from the very beginning-austerity, penance, brahmacārī, celibacy, like that. These things have to be practiced.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Svarūpa Dāmodara: With this background before, then that is why they start saying that before Darwin's theory there should be one. That is called chemical evolution. That is called pre-biotic-chemistry. Means before biological evolution started there should be chemical evolution.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that chemical evolution is part of life demonstration. That I have already explained. Just like the chemical, citric acid, coming from lemon tree, a life. It is coming. So all chemicals are being produced... Just like in your body, in my body, there are so many chemicals. Because the body is there, the chemicals are coming. In my urine you will find so much, so many chemicals. In my stool you will find so many chemicals. Wherefrom the chemicals coming? Daily, enzymes, so many other chemicals are coming. Simply the medical man analyzes the urine, and so many chemicals are there. Wherefrom it came? Because I am living entity, the chemicals are coming in my urine, in my stool, in my cough, in my secretion. It is coming. Therefore it is concluded that chemicals are produced by life, not life is produced by chemicals.
Prajāpati: Then they can say, "Well if we can cure this blood disease, he will live."
Prabhupāda: There was one physician in Dacca. He was... Morning, he was washing his face. So one man was going, and he was coughing. So he asked that man, "Come here. Where you are going?" So he was a cultivator—"I am going to the field." So he said, "Better go home. Don't go to the field." So he was a respectable physician, so he went back. So his students asked that, "How is that, you asked him to go home?" So he chastised his stu..., "You do not know that he is coughing and the sound is like this? He will die after eight hours." It is experience. The students did not know but he could understand, "Coughing under such and such sound, it means death after such and such time." Yes. That, kavirāja can tell. When my father died, the kavirāja said, "Now you can do the rituals because he will die before next morning." He said. And actually it so happened. He said me this about ten, eleven o'clock, and he said exactly, "Before next morning he'll die." So that is experience. If you say, "After twenty days the month of January is coming," the child cannot understand, "How father said that twenty days after, January is coming?" But it is better experience only that one can say, "Today is 10th, and after twenty days, 1st January, will come." Everything is experience but supreme experience is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore if we receive experience from Him, then our experience becomes perfect. This is our proposal.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That was being done long, long ago in a Chinese house in Calcutta. They'd call hawker.
Guest: Hawker. And kill him up.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: It is a very confidential report. The government will not publish it. (break)
Prabhupāda: Supply large quantity of milk? No.
Guest: No, that milk is medicinally used for whooping cough. Anybody suffering from whooping cough, they have to take this camel's milk. And any children who do not increase their height, they are given this milk in winter. So height is automatically increased. They become like camel eventually. (laughter) Tall, I mean. I don't mean the..., in Western way. According to Āyurvedic principle, every animal have got a particular method of curing particular disease.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: Now, Sitalamata, she is always traveling on a she-ass. Now she-ass's milk is very good for smallpox. If you take one spoon every day for three days in a year, one does not get an attack of smallpox. Very simple. Ideologically...
Prabhupāda: Her carrier is ass.
Devotee (1): Should the devotees think that "Any moment, I can die"?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a fact. Why they will think? It is a fact. There is English proverb, "There is many dangers between the cups and the lips." You are going to drink tea. The distance is: here is cup and here is lip. There may be many dangers. So suppose in drinking tea there is some choking within the throat, and coughing, you may die immediately. You are so much under the control of nature. Little mistake will cause your death, little mistake. And conditioned life means we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our knowledge is imperfect. This is conditioned life.
Prabhupāda: Tea was taken in our childhood if somebody is coughing, sometimes they used to tea. That was also later. But it was unknown. Drinking tea, drinking wine, smoking, meat-eating—these things were unknown. Prostitution. There was prostitution. Not that everyone is prostitute. Very strict. So these things should be taken care of—at least a class of men must be ideal for people others will see. And the training should go on, just like we are doing. We are inviting people to come to chant with us, to dance with us, take prasādam. And gradually they are becoming. The same (?) addicted to drinking, addicted to prostitution, addicted to meat-eating, he is becoming saintly person. This is practical, you can see, what was their previous history and what they are now.
Prabhupāda: And very nice park. And not far away. (break) ...interested with this natural history. That means Darwin's theory. That's all. Their whole civilization is based on this Darwin's theory. How long you shall keep history? Do you know what is the history of the sun, when it was created, when it came into appearance? Can Darwin give us the history of the sun, of the moon, of the sky? Where is the history? There is history, but where is your history? You simply imagine, "There was a chunk, and it became manifested as the sun, moon, and I am also this..." What is this? How this cosmic manifestation came into existence—your explanation is: "There was a chunk." And what other nonsense? (break) walking: ...house is on the water? No. (break) ...coughing. Catch cold?
Harikeśa: Hawaii was not a very healthy place for me. Hawaii.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Harikeśa: All the rain and the sun and the rain.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...you will find today's text. It has given very nice example, that the prostitute changes her dress to attract people. Similarly, we are changing our dress for sense gratification. Yes. (break) Nature, material nature, has been described as the prostitute, and we are trying to become the husband of the prostitute. Has anyone become happy by becoming husband of a prostitute? (laughs) (break) ...Paṇḍita has said, duṣṭā bhāryā śāṭhaṁ mitraṁ bhṛtyaś cottara-dāyakaḥ, sasarpe ca gṛhe vāso mṛtyur eva na saṁśayaḥ. A prostitute wife, duṣṭā bhāryā, and dupli..., what is called, duplicity? One who speaks something and heard something? What is called? Hypocrite.
Vāsughoṣa: Kathmandu. Tonight I will go to Hyderabad. I am collecting money. But one thing I find even when we explain to these people, you know... Just like smoking cigarettes. In Kathmandu I was explaining to people, "What kind of enjoyment is this from smoking cigarettes? You are coughing..." This is the way Acyutānanda Swami also describes, so I picked up from him. "You are coughing. You are killing yourself." He also described like this, "Intoxication means poison. Toxic means poison. So this is intoxication. You are actually administering poison. What kind of sanity is this?" So all those people, they told me, "Well, I'll give up cigarettes later."
Prabhupāda: At least they admit the fault, hm? Do they?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Bhavānanda: We need, Śrīla Prabhupāda. For all those little things we need.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I will give you so many formulas.
Bhavānanda: For boil also?
Prabhupāda: Anything, all common disease. You have got cough? Take this mista. Just first of all find out what are the general complaints.
Jayapatāka: For several.... For some time practically no one has been bed case, but little things, cuts, bruise, cough, cold.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Many formulas I can give you.
Prabhupāda: So give Bhagavān prabhu nice prasādam. Our, the devotees only eat prasādam.
Bhagavān: My prasāda was sitting here. I'm sorry to hear that you are so sick. You are sick.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Should have, cough, to stop.(?) The coughing is continuing and practically no appetite, and palpitation of heart. Going up the step is.... So how under this condition I can travel? It is not...
Bhagavān: Very difficult
Prabhupāda: Yes. When you came back from India?
Pṛthu-putra: Three months ago.
Prabhupāda: From Vṛndāvana?
Pṛthu-putra: From Bombay. I was last in Bombay.
Bhagavān: You have been like this for some time?
Prabhupāda: It has begun from New York, eh?
Hari-śauri: Yeah, you had kidney trouble in New York, and then immediately after that, coughing and.... When we came on the plane it grew worse.
Prabhupāda: One doctor came, he gave me three bags of tablets.
(Prabhupāda is very hoarse)
George Harrison: How do you feel?
Prabhupāda: I have old man's disease, cough and cold, so coughing. But still, work is going on, and I shall complete eighty years this month. September, eighty-one. So now, due to age, it is becoming little difficult.
George Harrison: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa.... So how are you?
George Harrison: Quite good.
Prabhupāda: Chanting is going on?
George Harrison: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. That is our life and soul. Gṛhe vā vanete thāke, 'hā gaurāṅga' bole ḍāke. Wherever you live, it doesn't matter, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is our only support. So bring food here.
Prabhupāda: Just like we are trying to avoid some miserable condition, very insignificant—to get out of the disturbance created by the mosquitoes and the flies. We are trying our best, but still they are disturbing. Is it not? Still they find out some loopholes and go in to the room and disturb you. So you cannot avoid. Similarly, the disturbances of nature: the severe cold, scorching heat, how you can counteract it? Is it possible? Not possible. Adhyātmic, you may keep your body quite fit to your best knowledge, bit still there will be some trouble, sometimes coughing, sometimes mental equilibrium is lost, you don't feel nice. So these things will go on. Because we have got this material body, the material conditions must work. You cannot make any adjustments. That's not possible. (If) you have come to the spiritual platform independent of this material body, then there will be everything solved. On every surface (?). They can waste their time for making an adjustment, but that is not possible. I have given some example, that everyone is trying to become free from the material disturbances, but it is not possible. Nobody is free from material disturbance. That is not possible. So if you actually want freedom from material disturbances, you have to come to the spiritual platform and cultivate spiritual knowledge and be fixed up. Then your life is successful.
Harikeśa: You said on account of this toothpaste... Your teeth were so rotten they want to fall out, but the toothpaste won't allow them.
Prabhupāda: Yes, actually my teeth have gone all bad. It is useless. But on account of this toothpaste it is still working. (laughs) Otherwise, according to dental science, it has to be extracted. It is no other remedy. If you go to a dentist, immediately he will say, "Extract all this and have a new set, artificial." That is, I know that. But I don't want to extract. As far as possible, use them and let them fall out automatically, as they have already fallen out so many. Fifty percent already fallen out, and twenty-five percent are shaking, and still I am eating. Otherwise, according to the dental science, I should not eat any salt. In Bengal there is a word that when teeth is rot, then your eating is gone. You cannot digest, you cannot eat. It is not... If the foodstuff is not properly chewed, it causes digestive disturbance. And digestive disturbance means so many diseases. This coughing is due to digestive disturbance. I know that.
Prabhupāda: However you may try, antavanta ime dehāḥ.
Dr. Patel: Antavanta ime dehāḥ, that is right, but the anta may not be got too quickly.
Prabhupāda: No, it is not.
Indian: What is this (Hindi)?
Dr. Patel: Sagrada(?) is meant for only cough. (Hindi) Is Āyur-Vedic, very good medicine.
Indian: Where can we get some?
Dr. Patel: You can grow them here in this garden.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very easy.
Indian: Where can I buy it?
Dr. Patel: You can buy it from the market, serabasagra.(?) Syrup, it is in the form of paste. Leaves are also paste make a decoction out of it. Asaka(?) is recognized by the Western medicine also. Americans are importing it.
Prabhupāda: It was introduced by Dr. Bose.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Rāmeśvara: Adjusted.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: In America everything is based on the tongue.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everywhere. Taste can be very nice, sweetened. There is salt, and you can add honey also. Naturally salty and sweet plus some ingredients like peppermint, wintergreen, camphor, it will make tasty. These ingredients are very nice. We can... Some ordinary medicament. That skin disease ointment, some cough mixture. I have got experience in all these things. If you want to introduce this kind of business, tidbit...(?) The gṛhasthas can do the business.
Rāmeśvara: Gṛhasthas. I also want to start this record...
Prabhupāda: You cannot expect everyone to be brahminical qualification. We are neither brāhmaṇa nor... We do not belong to any sect, but Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, we can do anything. That, because we are doing some business, we are not vaiśyas. Just like Nanda Mahārāja was agriculturist. So that does not mean he was a Vaiṣṇava. But professionally, externally, he looked like a vaiśya.
Prabhupāda: It was hint already, that "I want to go back."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually at that time we were massaging your heart. It was such a shock to you. And I remember, the only medicine you want... We were massaging your heart and reading Kṛṣṇa book. And you developed a very bad cough.
Prabhupāda: I do not wish to recall that. It was intolerable. Then these things were now brought to... Otherwise I did not like to come back. I would have stayed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ahh. Wow.
Prabhupāda: I made my headquarter in Los Angeles. And they made a conspiracy against me. That's all.
Prabhupāda: And his wife takes four bottles of Nax Pomica.(?) If we said that "Dr. Bannerji prescribes Nax Pomica(?) and different (indistinct) to every person," therefore we finished the Nax Pomica(?) bottle very quickly. He was the biggest customer for Nax Pomica, Tincture Nax Pomica.(?) So he... And he was very famous doctor. And Abhinas Chandra Bannerji, he went to Allahabad very poor condition. Then, by medical practice, he became very rich man. I think simply by the mercy of Nax Pomica.(?) So one must know the right way. (coughs)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How's your cold, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: There is nothing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is it changing the condition at all? We should think how to get rid of it.
Prabhupāda: How to rid?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I remember one thing you were taking to loosen the phlegm in Māyāpur when you had a cough. You were taking a little hot lemon juice in the mornings.
Prabhupāda: You can give me.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I remember that. It seemed to have good effects. It also helped for digestion.
Prabhupāda: So any other?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Actually I'm right in the middle of doing these accounts, so I probably should...
Prabhupāda: (coughing) So this bank manager came. It means they are little serious.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, this is a real good sign. The last request of the head office is a very good sign. The head office is requesting, "Now please take the letter for him to sign..." It means that they're planning how to get the branch open. And I told this man that "If you get this opened, then surely we will open your branch in our Māyāpur center as well in all other centers."
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Bhakti-caru was saying that one of the reasons Bengali people are by nature... They're intelligent. They're always intelligent people, not so much physically hard working. So without so much physical work to do and without proper employment, this intelligence now has become misdirected. 'Cause nowhere else in India do the Communists have such a foothold as in Bengal.
Prabhupāda: Intelligent and lazy.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Intelligent lazy. I looked on the medicine bottle of this cough medicine that you took.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This cough medicine that you took, that Expectrin? One fourth of it is chloroform, and it says that in some persons it will cause sleepiness, drowsiness, due to the chloroform.
Upendra: He's coming, Prabhupādajī. He's just finishing breakfast. He said he's coming. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...in the world, the most disturbing element.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But then that creates mucus. Śrīla Prabhupāda? One problem is that that milk, drinking milk, creates mucus. (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: Cough.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And then when he coughs he cannot sleep. (Bengali-discussing milk and milk powder)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you explain what he said?
Sac-cid-ānanda: Prabhupāda asked him, "Can I take powdered milk?" He said, "No." Only pure cow's milk will cure him, and that cough coming, that will cure his... That cure is there.
Prabhupāda: So that pure cow's milk... (Bengali) ...proportion... (Bengali-about "so much milk, so much water")
Bhagatji: When the cough comes out, it will take out the disease.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cough. One trouble is that the cough stops sleeping. When Prabhupāda's coughing, he cannot sleep properly. (Bengali) He wants you to cough more, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Bhagatji: He said cough should come out.
Kavirāja: (Bengali) Horlicks' tonic.
Prabhupāda: No, no... (Bengali-about Horlicks) What is the name?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Complan.
Kavirāja: (Bengali) Complan. Best.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We brought it from London. Best, he says. (Prabhupāda and Kavirāja discuss Complan and Horlicks in Bengali) What about milk? He wants you to take milk also with the Complan?
Prabhupāda: No, no. Let us take the Complan only. (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: No, no. Let us take the Complan only. (Bengali)
Kavirāja: No milk.
Bhagatji: He says it is a very nourishing diet. Milk should be given also. It is nectar, he said.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But it's nectar when you can digest it. You can digest it. (Bengali) We can try it, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The kavirāja seems to think that by coughing and having the cough come out, it's not bad. He says it will bring out impurities in the body. It seems to me you don't like to cough, because it disturbs your sleep. From what I understand from what Bhagatji has translated...
Prabhupāda: Complan he recommends.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He recommends that. Anything for the swelling, did he say, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Bhagatji: That powder. That is same treatment.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that all right, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. What does the kavirāja say about your chances, Śrīla Prabhupāda? What does he say about your chances of surviving? (Prabhupāda coughs) How can you drink milk when the cough is like this? I cannot understand how they can recommend milk.
Prabhupāda: No, that counteracts any...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ādā?
Prabhupāda: He is giving medicine for that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. I couldn't follow anything. It was all in Bengali. (Prabhupāda coughs up mucus)
Prabhupāda: So far that... He said that "Life is finished, and you are simply still living by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. And there is still life. Let us try it." Now he is coming. Ask him daily what...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He speaks English. He spoke with me in English. I think he speaks some English, the kavirāja, a little bit. So you feel a little hopeful?
Prabhupāda: Eh. For me, either live or die, I don't mind. But if you are trying for my life, try it very seriously. That is my formula. No negligence. Whatever he advises, that is good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's good if you can try and make the cough come out, that mucus. You have to give a little extra exertion, I think, to get it out. Is that the bedsore, Śrīla Prabhupāda? (pause) Whoever does this medicine with the kavirāja should be intelligent person. That's all I'm saying. As you said to me, "Don't be negligent." Of course, Your Divine Grace knows me very well, so you called me to tell me that I should cooperate. But my cooperation is immediately there when I see someone is intelligent enough to do it. So Bhakti-caru is fit for that.
Prabhupāda: So call him immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. He said you're living by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That means it's a miracle that you're alive.
Prabhupāda: I tell him...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ginger juice.
Sac-cid-ānanda: And making hot...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Massage on chest for mucus to come out.
Prabhupāda: If the mucus come out, the prana(?) come out. (Bengali)
Kavirāja: (Bengali) Two medicine for cough.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Kavirāja: (Bengali-Sac-cid-ānanda translating for Tamāla)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Musk. He's getting that. (Bengali)
Sac-cid-ānanda: Prabhupāda pulse is all right.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mucus. Whether the drinking of milk causes mucus.
Kavirāja: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yesterday we did not give any milk.
Kavirāja: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He didn't take any milk yesterday. Then why the cough came? No, milk won't take away cough.
Kavirāja: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The main business is to take away the cough. Wait a second. Just try to understand. No, no, listen. When the cough comes out, Prabhupāda cannot sleep. When Prabhupāda cannot sleep, then he becomes weaker.
Kavirāja: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, the kavirāja gave you medicines which made the cough come out more. That was his idea, to do that purposely. I don't know if you want that, but that was... His idea was to make the cough come out more. You took it that the medicine might not have been acting, but according to him, he wanted that to happen.
Kavirāja: (Bengali) Medicine. Hot water, medicine. (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The swelling has increased since yesterday. It was never so much as today. The mucus was never so much as today. (Bengali-Prabhupāda speaks little Bengali) What did Prabhupāda just say?
Sac-cid-ānanda: Prabhupāda telling that he already gave two dose of these medicines here, that according to Prabhupāda thinking he will use the medicine.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Havoc caused by medicine. Prabhupāda says the medicine caused havoc. (Bengali-Kavirāja and Prabhupāda) Couldn't digest it. That's the real issue. He can't even digest the medicine. (Bengali-Prabhupāda and Kavirāja) What we want is to stop the coughing, not an expectorant.
Upendra: Drowsiness. Chloroform.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is that, Sac-cid-ānanda? (Bengali)
Brahmānanda: Codeine?
Upendra: No, chloroform.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Sac-cid-ānanda: I have explained one medicine to clear the cough. Doctor knows. Immediately I all time use that to clear my cough, and when I feel bacteria and cough, immediately clean, and digestive power becomes so strong. He knows that. I ask him that please use him. This medicine is very difficult to digest, but that medicine is very easy digestion. And digestion power also there. He knows. I ask him to give one treatment on the mouth. Immediately cough will clear. He can speak nicely. He can digest. (indistinct) He knows everything. All time, I use that medicine to clear, the cough, to make digestion power so strong, very good medicine, very old medicine. He knows. I ask him to please prescribe that medicine, because this is very difficult to digest. Therefore Prabhupāda asked him, "Today I cannot take any medicine," and to stop this medicine. Very old medicine. Very good...
Kavirāja: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How do you know it won't again cause more havoc? What is the guarantee? You're not Prabhupāda. You are a young man. Prabhupāda is old. So how do you know it will not do the same... (Bengali) Can't make an experiment... (Bengali) Patent medicine. (Bengali) The musk is for the heart? The heart. So I thought the heart was strong. If the heart is strong, why give him musk? (Bengali) If the heart is strong, why give musk?
Bhagatji: More strength.
Sac-cid-ānanda: To clean the cough also. The mental strength.
Abhirāma: But where can we get the real musk? (end)
Prabhupāda: So follow this policy. Don't keep idle money in the bank.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)
Prabhupāda: Although drinking nothing, cough is coming.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cough is again coming.
Prabhupāda: No medicine, no drinking.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Swelling is reducing.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not very much reducing. Why you're not drinking anything, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I noticed yesterday you did not drink much.
Prabhupāda: First of all there is no inclination to drink anything.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You don't feel thirsty at all?
Prabhupāda: And secondly, if I drink, then there is cough.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even when you drink fruit juice there is cough?
Prabhupāda: Um, hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a lot of coughing today again?
Prabhupāda: I think so.
Upendra: It's just starting again.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is your conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Maybe when Dr. Ghosh comes he can give some relief from the coughing.
Prabhupāda: You have written him?
Abhirāma: Take rest now. All right. He wants to rest now. He doesn't want to wash. (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: After bathing, would you like to go to see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma today? Very nice. The devotees very much enjoyed seeing you see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. They like that very much. I think this powder has had a little effect. Maybe after you come back from Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma I can put some powder on, more powder. Yesterday you did not drink very much.
Prabhupāda: Due to that coughing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Today no coughing yet. So if there is no coughing, you can increase a little bit today.
Prabhupāda: Survive. (laughter)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We're not ready to let you go yet, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We can't resign ourselves to it. All of your disciples are coming. We're not ready yet. Śrīla Prabhupāda, I wanted to show you something.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A very nice statue was made of you, and it's being placed in many libraries and museums. People donate it. Members pay for it to be donated to libraries and schools. It's a bust of Your Divine Grace. It's very heavy. It's made of bronze.
Hari-śauri: Can you see it there, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you see it? Shall I sit you up?
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a cādara you wear on a cold morning. Very ecstatic pose. It's made of metal. (taps it)
Prabhupāda: Strong?
Prabhupāda: You bring some milk. That's...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want to drink some milk? (to Upendra) You make just now. You want any water mixed with it? Half-half? (to Upendra) Milk half-half with water. (some whispering discussion with Upendra) Upendra is thinking that milk will cause the coughing.
Upendra: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think that just as you gradually decreased your eating and drinking and became very weak, so you should increase gradually, very carefully. Yesterday you drank barley water and grape juice, and you didn't come down with a cough. So if you increase just a little barley water and mung water, then after a few days thin milk, maybe some Complan, and then gradually increase the resistance...
Prabhupāda: So instead of water, barley water.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Take barley water now?
Prabhupāda: In milk. Milk will give some strength.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Complan?
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have... Jayatīrtha brought us new boxes of Complan from England. You have fresh supply now. You want Complan instead of milk?
Prabhupāda: What do you think?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, whatever you take, we don't want you to cough. That's a fact. That's too disturbing. So... (break) Why not take barley water instead of milk? I mean is milk better than barley water?
Prabhupāda: No.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So yesterday you took barley water and you didn't get mucus. So why not stick with that for a little while and get some more strength? See, if you get mucus now, because you don't have much strength, it will be difficult for you to cough. First of all, better to get more strength. Then we can take up drinking some things like milk which might cause a little mucus, but then you'd have the strength to cough. Now we should not take any risk. Is that a fact? At least that's how I'm thinking. It may be better you drink some barley water. Do you mind drinking it?
Prabhupāda: With little milk mixed up.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Little Complan or milk?
Prabhupāda: Milk.
Śaktimātā: I will try same to small baby. You see, it doesn't matter. I will try to give Prabhupāda something, something. Anything Prabhupāda says, "Yes, this I like," and that is suitable for the body, that is good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. The main problem is that mucus, because if he gets this cough, then he's so weak he cannot cough properly.
Śaktimātā: That is I understand. I will use that ginger powder, little, and honey. That is very helpful. Also sometimes I will use that keśura. That thing very useful. Also you can get kophur.(?) You can use your throat always here and near the ear...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He doesn't have a cough now. It's not that he gets... He doesn't have a cold or flu. It's not like that kind of cough. It comes from the kind of food he eats. It causes the mucus. So when you cook, you have to cook in such a way that it doesn't form mucus. It's not that he has a cold.
Śaktimātā: I understand. You hear me one thing. I am nothing, Prabhu. I am servant of Prabhupāda. I am servant of the all devotees. Rādhārāṇī, as She suggest me, I will cook. I am nothing. She order me. So She gave that prasādam to Prabhupāda. I am nothing, Prabhu. Don't think, "Shakti will something." I am nothing, Prabhu. Rādhārāṇī, She give Prabhupāda as She like. I don't know. I haven't in my mind anything now also. If She say... I will first go to pray Rādhārāṇī, "Rādhārāṇī, You save Your servant. He is so great bhakta." I am beggar of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So He will hear me.
Prabhupāda: Give her to prepare. I cannot take very thick. Only thin prepara...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're bringing, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Doctor: Tablets... He likes syrup or tablets? Tablets will be difficult for swallowing?
Prabhupāda: Tablet I can take. (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Enzymes means animals.
Bali-mardana: Syrup is better if the tablets are all made with anima... (Prabhupāda coughs) He's been having mucus.
Doctor: For this cough. This will be a rather irritable thing to control. For that, Mahārājajī should have breathing exercise. Somebody must have suggested before also for breathing exercise?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I don't think so.
Doctor: It is necessary, because when he is bedridden there will be congestion in the base of the lungs. For ten minutes morning, ten minutes afternoon, ten minutes evening, in this way exercise must be there.
Hari-śauri: You want the spittoon, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Doctor: In old age it's very common for a patient to remain lying down in this posture.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Breathing exercise.
Dr. Kapoor: No, but were those syrups given?
Upendra: No.
Bhavānanda: What was given yesterday?
Upendra: Yesterday the bhinbukshu(?) cream. Yes, that was given, the green bottle and the bottle up there. Yesterday barley water in the morning with a little bit of Complan. And after that, some cough developed, and then the doctor came and gave some of that medicine with musumbi(?) juice.
Brahmānanda: Which medicine?
Upendra: The Ayurvedic. The vaidya. He had grape, glucose and whey. Then he had this vitamin here, this one. Then he had some more medicine with musumbi juice, and that was it yesterday.
Hari-śauri: This is vitamins.
Rūpānuga: It doesn't say there's any alcohol in it.
Kīrtanānanda: Ultimately, whatever he says we have to do if we're going to accept him. But he's also very understanding, and I think in your condition there may be no need for hospitalization. We need to get some regular care established. There was to be a regimen for recovery.
Prabhupāda: No, that I have already explained. I don't want to go to hospital.
Kīrtanānanda: So that is not necessary. (Prabhupāda coughs heavily) (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayapatākā Mahārāja has come from Māyāpur.
Prabhupāda: Come here. (heavy coughing) Mucus is generating, either you take milk or fruit juice. I have given my opinion in that correspondence. And he's a qualified man. If you want him, then somebody may go to him and talk.
Kīrtanānanda: Yes, that should be done. We'll do that today.
Prabhupāda: He wanted to retire and start a clinic here.
Kīrtanānanda: So he can come now.
Prabhupāda: So we can help.
Bhavānanda: But then he's afraid of draft. Draft.
Dr. Ghosh: No, no. No draft. Fresh air. No draft.
Prabhupāda: You can open it.
Bhakti-caru: We opened it, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (Bengali)
Dr. Ghosh: Just a few teaspoons.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...cough.
Bhakti-caru: Dudhkhile mucus haya. Kal ke ami...(?)
Dr. Ghosh: We'll see to that. I am here.
Bhakti-caru: Sixty cc. Only sixty cc milk he took, and he started coughing the whole night.
Dr. Ghosh: (Bengali) ...chānā, solid chānā... (Bengali) Massage upwards towards the heart. (Bengali) ...preferably on the left side, like this. This is an ideal position for him. I would like to go and see the doctor who will examine his urine tomorrow. (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bring another chair.
Dr. Ghosh: (indistinct, talking of Dr. Gopal)
Prabhupāda: I saw you yesterday
Dr. Gopal: I examined you yesterday.
Bhavānanda: There's bad cough when he takes any milk. Give him very deep cough. (doctors talking)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The surgeon in London, he said that Lassix might be dangerous for Prabhupāda. (chanting in background, doctors talking faintly)
Dr. Gopal: Let us lay him down on his back. That's it.
Bhavānanda: Is that comfortable, Śrīla Prabhupāda? (doctors talking)
Dr. Gopal: Say "Ah."
Prabhupāda: Ahhhhh.
Bhavānanda: They say that the lungs are... Anyway...
Hari-śauri: They haven't seen the difficulty that Prabhupāda has in bringing this stuff up.
Bhavānanda: Milk... There has to be some protein.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chānā seemed good. Today you had the curd. It seems to have been all right. The cheese this morning, Prabhupāda. I don't notice any cough today.
Prabhupāda: Cough generates later on.
Hari-śauri: Yes. It usually comes about half a day or a day later.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh.
Hari-śauri: After it's been in the stomach for awhile.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (low voice) What about all these people being in the same room? Did you ask the doctor about that?
Hari-śauri: The Proteinex is good because it's made from soya. It's not made from milk base. So that may not cause mucus.
Bhavānanda: So we can try.
Bhavānanda: They say that the lungs are... Anyway...
Hari-śauri: They haven't seen the difficulty that Prabhupāda has in bringing this stuff up.
Bhavānanda: Milk... There has to be some protein.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chānā seemed good. Today you had the curd. It seems to have been all right. The cheese this morning, Prabhupāda. I don't notice any cough today.
Prabhupāda: Cough generates later on.
Hari-śauri: Yes. It usually comes about half a day or a day later.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh.
Hari-śauri: After it's been in the stomach for awhile.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (low voice) What about all these people being in the same room? Did you ask the doctor about that?
Hari-śauri: The Proteinex is good because it's made from soya. It's not made from milk base. So that may not cause mucus.
Bhavānanda: So we can try.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How you will get Prabhupāda there? What is the conveyance?
Hari-prasāda: Conveyance, there is train.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the problem.
Hari-prasāda:. No, air-conditioned train, at this time you can travel.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now he's a little weak.
Hari-prasāda: No, this all cough and all these things could be... In dry climate it can be...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But unless he's a little stronger, to travel...
Hari-prasāda: Yes, little strength, if he goes. That vaidya, kavirāja can come from Bombay. He had treated my father-in-law for about four-five years.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who is that?
Hari-prasāda: He is Bhayernathji(?), Pandit Bayernath.(?) He is friend of (indistinct). He's a very good Ayurvedic. (break)
Prabhupāda: Svarūpa Dāmodara?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Juice is for maintaining. It's not for improving the condition. Juice you can maintain one's life, but to actually get strength you have to take something more substantial than juice. Milk is one thing, of course.
Bhakti-caru: Kavirāja is stressing on milk and barley.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The kavirāja said he had some cough medicine to put in the milk.
Bhakti-caru: Yes. Yes. He gave it to me yesterday. But last night I didn't want to give the milk.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So what about now?
Bhakti-caru: Milk hasn't come. Next I will give. Say after about an hour. Now I will feed him the orange juice and...
Bhavānanda: Maybe after parikrama.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (break) How many plane go from Delhi?
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Bhakti-caru: (Hindi)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Slowly but surely.
Kavirāja: (Hindi)
Bhakti-caru: He's saying it's impossible, that he had cough today, and tomorrow there is no sign of it. So these are all Śrīla Prabhupāda's pastimes, his own doings.
Kavirāja: (Hindi)
Bhakti-caru: In the morning you have to save the urine.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which time? The latest possible one. 'Cause he passes urine sometimes two times in the morning.
Bhakti-caru: For last few days, at times he's passing at four o'clock and then again at about six o'clock.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So which one of those two?
Bhakti-caru: (Hindi) Where is the conference?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing is that Prabhupāda does not, neither we feel confident at all, to have Prabhupāda treated by anyone else even in the interim period. (Bhakti-caru translates, kavirāja answers) The problem is that if some assistant is here, if in case there's some problem develops, then the assistant has to become the one who gives a diagnosis, and we don't trust any assistant. (Bhakti-caru translates, kavirāja answers)
Bhakti-caru: He's saying that the main disease is being taken care of, but there might be some secondary ailments like a cough or passing stool. Someone has to take care of these sort of symptoms, the secondary effects. But the main thing he has given the medicine, and that he's going to give.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the fact is that no matter how expert one may be, sometimes the body reacts in a certain way. Sometimes the body may react in a way which was not foreseen. And then we are at the mercy of this assistant. And that we do not want. This assistant is... We are not very anxious about it. No person of any great position would ever place themselves under an assistant like that, never. If Morarji Desai was to be treated, he would never allow that assistant to touch him. (Bhakti-caru translates) We prefer to take the risk... (kavirāja interrupts) You can explain this point. We prefer to take the risk of traveling than the risk of being treated by that assistant, because if you are personally present, there's less risk. (Bhakti-caru translates) Here's what it will entail. From here we will go in the car, a very good, big Western car with a mattress in the back seat, and Prabhupāda will be laying down. You can explain that. (Bhakti-caru translates) Then we'll have a wheelchair at the airport. The car will go right up to the plane and the wheelchair... We'll carry Prabhupāda right into a seat, and he can lay down in the three seats. Then again we'll take him off the plane. Immediately he'll lay down in the car and go to Māyāpur. (Bhakti-caru translates) There there's open air. Here we have to keep everything closed. Cold draft is coming here. And also there all the vegetables are grown fresh on our land. Plus change of place is also nice for improved health. Prabhupāda is accustomed every three days to go to another country or another city. (Bhakti-caru translates, kavirāja answers) We will have about ten of us. There will be at least ten of us traveling, so we will give him all... (Bhakti-caru translates)
Bhakti-caru: He said Prabhupāda cannot sit. He'll give a medicine for heart so that if there is any jerking or things, it won't effect.
Prabhupāda: Because all, everything has failed.
Bhavānanda: This kavirāja has not promised miraculous recovery. He has said it takes time.
Bhakti-caru: Yes. At least fifteen days, he said.
Bhavānanda: We're all feeling encouraged for the first time.
Bhakti-caru: Actually the kavirāja has left it up to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He said that the way you have cured your cough and cold in just a day, in just a few hours' time, the same way you can cure all your disease if you want, just yourself, without any medicine. At the same time, you dreamt this Rāmānuja kavirāja giving you the medicine, and ever since you started taking the medicines there has been some good effect, like you started passing more urine, you started getting a little appetite, little taste, your swelling has gone down, to some extent.
Prabhupāda: Swelling has not... (long silence)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? About two days ago you said that either the kavirāja should stay here or we should go with him. So why should we change that idea?
Prabhupāda: Because in this morning I was fainting. So there was no strength. How long I (sic:) circumbulate?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Alter means death.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it doesn't mean death. Alter means supposing you suddenly develop some... You can't say what it will be. It doesn't necessarily mean death.
Bhakti-caru: Some secondary ailments.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Anything may come up. Just like sometimes you get a cough. Cough doesn't mean death. Sometimes you pass a little more stool. That doesn't mean death. So anyway, the idea is that having a kavirāja personally present naturally is the best thing. So if it's not possible, and that does develop, then we'll have to call upon the man he's..., this assistant.
Prabhupāda: So why call Māyāpur? Let him supply the medicine from Calcutta.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Supply the medicine from Calcutta. Well, he said he can give enough medicine now to last I think for about another ten days. Even now.
Prabhupāda: So that is all right.
Bhakti-caru: Yes. It has. It's a lot... Another thing is that milk...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Milk you were never able to take. Now you're able to take without producing... I mean there definitely are, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Last night you gave me milk?
Bhakti-caru: Um hm. You started coughing, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is that?
Bhakti-caru: Last night
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What time?
Bhakti-caru: About 8:30.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda was vomiting?
Bhakti-caru: Not really. Like...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I explained to Bhakti-caru Mahārāja that when you take something to drink, milk, that when you sit up, at first you should not eat immediately. First of all, you should sit up... (break) I don't think it was due to the milk and barley that you were coughing.
Bhakti-caru: There are few things. First of all that, as you say, sitting up and taking it immediately after sitting up, and when he was feeling dizzy, then drinking the milk.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's what it is.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's what it is.
Bhakti-caru: And another thing is that no taste. And Śrīla Prabhupāda wasn't sitting properly. He was very uncomfortable, the way he was sitting.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what I'm trying to say. Before you try to drink anything, Śrīla Prabhupāda, first of all you make yourself properly comfortable in sitting. If you're dizzy and you try and drink... Anyone who is dizzy and tries to drink, they're going to start to cough and vomit.
Bhakti-caru: Another thing might have been that last night in the milk the barley was little thick, little too much of it, so that density was little thick. So from today onwards I'm going to use much less barley so that it's thin and easy to swallow.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think that... I mean the one thing we're hoping for is the strength. I was saying that the swelling, Śrīla Prabhupāda, very much reduced, very reduced.
Prabhupāda: And this is also suicidal.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Prabhupāda said, "And this is also suicide." Now you have to choose which suicide.
Prabhupāda: The Rāvaṇa will kill and Rāma will kill. Better to be killed by Rāma. Eh? That Mārīca—if he does not go to mislead Sītā, he'll be killed by Rāvaṇa; and if he goes to be killed by Rāma, then it is better.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who is this Prabhupāda's talking about?
Devotees: Mārīca.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I mean, just judging the symptoms, which is all that we can do, certain symptoms have certainly picked up. For instance, you're passing more urine, stool is coming naturally, and you're able to drink milk without getting any cough. These things were never there before.
Prabhupāda: Hm. That will continue.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So if the treatment is continuing, if the treatment is working, why not continue it under the guidance of this kavirāja for some time? His point is this. This is what I've seen, Śrīla Prabhupāda, being your secretary all these months, that whenever you took milk you would get cough. For the first time I see there's no cough coming. Another problem, you couldn't pass urine. Now there's double the amount of urine. Another thing, you couldn't pass stool. Now it comes normally. At least it comes without any artificial means. So the one thing that has not yet come is strength, and kavirāja is suggesting what you yourself had always said, "If I can drink milk, I will get stronger." So if the kavirāja's treatment... To my feeling it has worked. At least symptoms... The symptoms have been better under his treatment than any doctor so far.
Prabhupāda: That will work.
Correspondence
1973 Correspondence
I beg to thank you for your letter dated 10/5/73. Now I have come here to New York. My health is not keeping very well. I'm suffering from cold and cough. I am returning back to India for medical treatment.
Yes, in Mayapur I am much improved from how I was in Los Angeles. The great advantage here is that there is always open air and a good breeze which is naturally very good for any breathing difficulties. The coughing is almost gone, but still sometimes at night it gives a little trouble. So I am under the treatment of one of the best physicians in Calcutta. I am taking this medicine and am gradually improving. Certainly Mayapur is by far a better place than Los Angeles because you can enjoy the free air here. The climate is not too hot, but a little moist with humidity but on the whole it is very pleasing. Our building is most superexcellently situated, and it is the experience of many respectable outsiders that while the outer atmosphere is unbearably hot, in our building it is pleasing.
1976 Correspondence
In New York I caught a cold and it continued for about one month of coughing at night without any sleep. But still I am travelling. I went from New York to London to Paris to Tehran to Bombay to Hyderabad to here.
| Page Title: | Coughing |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 13 of Jul, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=3, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=17, Con=45, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 69 |